The Founding Fathers Were 20 and 30-Somethings. Why Is America Now a Gerontocracy?

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 31 December 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A house on the Florida coast. An assisted living program. A lively retirement community. Medicare. Our modern concept of old age—and even the idea of old age as a distinct stage of life—are products of our recent past. Where once Americans had little choice but to work until death, in the years after World War II government subsidies and employer pensions allowed people to retire en masse. But the enormous strides made in the 20th century are under siege today as we face critical issues like the uncertain future of social security, a caregiving crisis, and an aging and increasingly diverse society.

Today’s guest is James Chappel, author of “Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age.” He shares the surprising history of old age in modern America, showing how we created unprecedented security for some and painful uncertainty for others. From social security and 401(k)s to fitness programs and even The Golden Girls, Chappel explores the rise and fall of a shared ideal of old age, showing how it has been shaped by politicians’ choices, activists’ demands, medical advancements, and popular culture.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Noble gold investments is the official gold sponsor of History Unplug, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals.
0:07.9	Learn how you can protect your wealth with noble gold investments.
0:11.3	Noble gold investments.com.
0:19.1	Scott here with another episode of the History and Plug podcast.
0:22.5	Is America a gerentocracy, which means rule by the elderly?
0:26.3	If you just looked at the political leadership, you'd be forgiven for thinking yes.
0:29.9	The average age of a senator is 65.
0:32.1	In a recent presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Biden was 82 and Trump was 78,
0:38.6	and there are several senators that are octogenarians or known-agenarians. This is in contrast to the ages of the founding fathers
0:43.5	in 1776. Washington was the oldest at 44, Thadams 40, Jefferson 33, Madison 25,
0:50.9	Hamilton 21, and James Monroe 18. What change over American history? Well, it all has to do
0:57.0	with the evolving idea of retirement and the increasing number of Americans who make it to old age.
1:02.3	Improvements in public health, meaning more people make it into their 70s and 80s and 90s.
1:06.7	But new programs like Social Security and Medicare, a lot of them to not have to work until
1:10.6	death and have a completely different experience in their Golden Years.
1:14.2	To explore this changing dynamic is today's guest, James Chappell, author of Golden Years
1:18.6	How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age.
1:21.6	He shares the story of Old Age of Modern America, showing how he created unprecedented
1:25.5	security for some and painful uncertainty for
1:27.9	others, from Social Security and 401Ks to fitness programs of the Golden Girls, he shows
1:33.2	how old age has been shaped by politicians' choices, activist demands, medical advancements,
1:37.9	and popular culture.
	...

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